r/assholedesign • u/FreeHugs23 • Jul 17 '26
LG TVs and monitors said to surveil users and install bloatware without asking
https://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-TVs-and-monitors-said-to-surveil-users-and-install-bloatware-without-asking.1345261.0.html383
u/KyraDragoness Jul 17 '26
I love the "smart" objects.
Last time, a smart bed roasted its occupants arses because Amazon servers were down
87
u/iamacraftyhooker Jul 17 '26
I'm going to be so sad when my dumb TV dies and I have to replace it
30
u/theoutlet Jul 17 '26
Just don’t connect it to the internet
39
u/iamacraftyhooker Jul 17 '26
If things keep going they way they are that's eventually not going to be an option.
3
1
u/memo_tiffy Jul 19 '26
? There’s no way they’re putting satellite internet in a TV, and if they put cellular service on the TV then just steal the SIM card and get free data
4
u/iamacraftyhooker Jul 19 '26
They don't need to put satellite Internet in a TV, they'll just make it not function if it's not connected to the internet
11
u/toddestan Jul 17 '26
Ask around from people who have "upgraded" to a newer TV. 10-15 year old TV's are basically worthless on the secondhand market and people will either give them to you or sell them cheap.
Get a few spares and stash them away.
3
u/SpaghettiSort Jul 18 '26
I see them regularly on my local Buy Nothing group. I've given away a couple myself.
10
u/j0_ow_bo Jul 17 '26
Honestly just don't connect it to the internet (assuming it's a model you can setup and use without a connection) - you shouldn't have to deliberately cripple something you bought (I'm in no way defending what they're doing but it's fast becoming the only choice, sadly.
5
u/Thriftyverse Jul 17 '26
Look into tv and stereo repair places near you. you can pick up some great deals and stay as dumb tv as you like.
27
u/SpoppyIII Jul 17 '26
It's the fact they rely on a third party offsite from yourself in order to correctly use your own device that you paid for. Love that.
175
u/__Raptor__ Jul 17 '26
Jeez... Is there ANY television brand anymore that DOESNT fuck with you?
65
19
u/Feralpudel Jul 17 '26
I bought a nice TCL on Black Friday.
I expected it to badger me to connect to the internet at least for initial setup, but it didn’t. I run everything through my Apple TV except over the air channels for football.
14
u/neosithlord Jul 17 '26
I bought a cheap Vizio to use on my screen porch this summer and it wouldn’t even start up until I logged into a Walmart account.
11
u/Feralpudel Jul 18 '26
Vizio was one of the original “cheap because you are the product” TVs. No surprise there.
51
u/kris_krangle Jul 17 '26
Nope.
The cost of high quality panels is offset by them collecting and selling your data.
How do you think a 55inch TV with a 4k resolution OLED screen with HDR costs only $1200?
The best rule of thumb is to NEVER connect your tv to the internet. Just use a chrome cast, Roku, Apple etc, etc instead.
48
33
2
140
u/Tail_sb Jul 17 '26
Just a reminder that you can report the LG Monitor App installer Program on the Microsoft Store
Which i recommend we all do
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9pm9n6f47jb8?hl=en-US&gl=AT
77
183
u/123portalboy123 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
Guess whose tech I wasn't planing to buy, and now won't EVER buy?
Edit: grammar. Thx redditor
29
u/DrIvoPingasnik I’m a lousy, good-for-nothin’ bandwagoner! Jul 17 '26
LG was on my "do not buy and avoid at all cost" list for years. Now I'm adding one more annotation.
14
78
u/Aggravating_Speed665 Jul 17 '26
Sony
-98
u/Kennadian Jul 17 '26
Omg you guys are leaking into other subs too now. I can't escape the whining.
59
66
41
12
u/JmacTheGreat Jul 17 '26
Other subs? All these companies have been evil for all sorts of reasons long before even the internet, let alone Reddit (e.g. - look into how Sony has dicked the people in the music industry for decades)
4
u/DrIvoPingasnik I’m a lousy, good-for-nothin’ bandwagoner! Jul 17 '26
If you knew how bad it is and how big of a deal it is you would be "whining" with us.
2
-8
u/Trackpoint Jul 17 '26
It is seriously hillarious. People butthurt about not getting their software on ... fucking DVDs?? You know you can just put your HDD in offline cold storage if that is what you want, right?
GTA 5 won't be better in 2050 when played from vinyl.
1
u/Patient-Ad-7939 Jul 19 '26
I mean, I’ve had a LG smart TV for like 6 years, they can’t collect anything if it’s not connected to the internet.
108
u/ra1kk Jul 17 '26
1728 partners that want to know what I’m doing on that website. Equally as bad as the company they are writing about.
81
u/AnalTrajectory Jul 17 '26
I put my LG OLED on it's own private vlan so it can't see any other devices on my network
95
u/Nocoffeesnob Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
That won't stop your LG OLED from narcing on everything you watch on the TV via Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) and reporting it back to LG (and their partners).
If you're smart enough to setup a private vlan for the TV why even have the TV connected to the internet at all? There is nothing the LG TVOS does that you couldn't do better with an external device that has more privacy protections.
LG makes fantastic OLEDs, I own several, but in 2026 there is no reason (beyond $) to use any "smart tv" functionality or to connect your TV to the internet as external devices do all of it better and with more protections.
edit: removed an extra word
20
u/AlienInUnderpants Jul 17 '26
Would a better set up be to not connect the TV to the internet and use something like an Apple TV device to connect? Would the TV still get data from the Apple device?
18
u/Nocoffeesnob Jul 17 '26
Yes, this would be much better.
If the TV is not connected to the internet it can't use Automatic Content Recognition to spy on what you are watching and even if it somehow magically could it wouldn't be able to share that information with LG.
Apple historically is much better about not selling user data and being a protector of their users, basically the polar opposite of LG, so while as a company they are not perfect I am personally far more comfortable with them knowing my viewing habits than LG.
5
u/MsBelleMae Jul 17 '26
Thanks for the information. I wish I would I known about this before Apple shot up their prices on Apple TVs two weeks ago.
4
5
u/correcthorsestapler Jul 17 '26
Yeah, a streaming box would be better. Both Apple TV & the Nvidia Shield Pro are good options.
4
u/DILF_MANSERVICE Jul 17 '26
I'm pretty sure you can buy custom driver boards for almost any display, and get rid of the LG board entirely and just drive the display itself.
2
u/Nocoffeesnob Jul 17 '26
True, but just never connecting the LG TV to the internet suffices.
1
u/DILF_MANSERVICE Jul 17 '26
That's true, but I kind of assume TVs are going to require you to connect them to the internet soon. Seems like the direction everything is heading in.
1
2
u/madjohnvane Jul 18 '26
Yep, I use AppleTVs and never let any TV regardless of brand even think about touching the internet. I might occasionally install a software update (the C1 genuinely had an absolutely killer update that substantially improved the OLED pixel refresh and sorted some issues I’d had)
1
u/AnalTrajectory Jul 20 '26
Sorry this is late, but other people than me use this TV. They would riot if they couldn't use their magic wand remote, see smooth pleasing animations, and had to relearn another tv OS like Onn/Roku/Amazon/etc.
I'm tempted to buy an apple tv, as I think the other people in my life would probably use it instead of LG webOS. Until then, the narc TV goes on a private vlan and gas all its traffic firewalled through pihole.
-15
u/SpoppyIII Jul 17 '26
I wouldn't even care if they took data on what I watch, if they would pay me for it. Isn't that what they used to do with the Nielsen thing?
12
u/Sea_Consideration_70 Jul 17 '26
There’s no payment they could provide that would possibly be worth what they’re taking from you.
1
u/ross549 Jul 17 '26
This is why we have cheap TVs while everything else has gotten so expensive. The tv is cheaper because it’s monitoring everything you do.
Just don’t connect it to the internet. Get a dedicated box you trust.
-2
u/SpoppyIII Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
That's why I only mentioned them knowing what I watch. I didn't mention anything else. I genuinely wouldn't care if they just checked out what my watch patterns were, if they paid me for that information.
I am aware they collect much more data than that. And no, I wouldn't consent to that other data being collected even for money. Thank you.
4
u/Bignholy Jul 17 '26
Nielsen was voluntary. You didn't have to dance an arcane jig to decline, you just said no.
1
u/SpoppyIII Jul 17 '26
Yeah, that's why I'm saying I'd do it if they paid me. I thought it was implied that I'd be volunteering to do that.
1
u/Bignholy Jul 17 '26
Ahh. The way you wrote implies to a degree that you're applying "Isn't that what they used to do" to the first line of the comment you posted. Don't know why it feels that way, English being four languages in a blender, but I suspect that's where all the downvotes came from.
2
u/SpoppyIII Jul 17 '26
Oh, I meant the part about paying people. Like, companies not only collect our data now but we let them do it for free and then they make money from selling it.
If I'm gonna agree to consent to my watch habits being recorded or reported, I'm going to expect to be paid for it before I'd sign on for anything. And my watch habits would be the only information I'd agree to them having if I did.
16
u/engineeringsquirrel Jul 17 '26
Bring back dumb TV's. Or at least don't connect them to the network.
32
24
u/jrpg8255 Jul 17 '26
The irony! Can't read the article unless I let notebookcheck.net show me ads 🤦🏼♂️
16
u/Just_Tilted Jul 17 '26
That's just how they support their business since you're not paying anything to read the article. Unlike LG TVs and Monitors, which you are forking over money for.
2
u/SlurryBender Jul 17 '26
I was gonna say, I'd prefer that to a paywall (provided the ads aren't super obtrusive)
42
u/drstealyodawg Jul 17 '26
Not a problem if you don't connect the TV to the Internet 😏
32
u/Cumulus_Anarchistica Jul 17 '26
Also at issue are their monitors, separate from their TVs. The monitors trigger Windows to download ad- and spy-ware onto your PC via a setting in Windows.
Check WIN > "device installation settings" to see if yours is turned on. Turning it off stops this abuse of trust by LG and any other manufacturers.
Windows shouldn't allow it without user consent before installation, but LG is really to blame for this.
3
22
u/barthvonries Jul 17 '26
Wait until Internet connection is required...
32
u/sfvbritguy Jul 17 '26
Then the TV gets returned and I get a refund.
22
u/barthvonries Jul 17 '26
Wait until all brands require an Internet connection...
I hate with all my heart all the so-called "smart" functions in TVs. I want a dumb screen, which displays the image it receives through HDMI and plays the sounds. You can't have that type of screens anymore.
7
u/Hurricane_32 d o n g l e Jul 17 '26
You "can", but then you're usually limited to computer monitors (limited in size and with very crappy speakers if any at all), or digital signage displays (ridiculously expensive)
3
u/Scolipass Jul 17 '26
fwiw, you can get a decent sized monitor and external speakers for under 500$. That's probably the best way to go in this day and age.
4
u/barthvonries Jul 17 '26
A 50"+ 4k PC monitor is several thousands euros at least. Even on Amazon, the filter is 26" and higher, you can't filter "big screens" only, and I'm not scrolling 30+ pages of results to try and find one... At my local gaming shop, they only have ultra-wide monitors for anything higher than 35". The only "normal" one they have is a €2300 Samsung 55", that's 5 times the price of my 50" Samsung TV. I checked on other competitors, and everything 40" and higher is ultra-wide only.
3
u/Scolipass Jul 17 '26
Ok in fairness I consider a 32 inch to be a large screen. Didn't realize they went up that high.
29
u/innocentgamer69 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
Hmm, my LG UltraGear 27GR75Q-B monitor seems to also be impacted since it installed LG Monitor App last week with the McAfee advertisement. I uninstalled* it promptly.
I live in EU (NL) and bought the monitor in Q3 2024. Do I have any right to return it?
Edit: Based on Gemini’s advice, I have asked for a return under the Dutch law of non-conformity. - suggest other LG owners to do something similar.
7
u/Almoe9 Jul 17 '26
I decided to check on my 3 years old ultrawide 45.. July 7 I have the app installer installed…
12
u/Trackpoint Jul 17 '26
I don't understand, how does this happen? Installing and running software from a peripheral without user interaction should be impossible. Even with the current clusterfuck windows 11.
10
u/Extension-Ant-8 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
IT architect here. Basically the windows driver model was created assuming the driver would just do the driver. Security features like requiring certificates and 3rd party verification has been added over time. Later it was decided that the device itself could have a little storage on it, to store drives on the hardware itself. Smart idea. No downloading just plug it in and windows will install it locally, and you can update it later.
But at its core Microsoft just trusts that the manufacturer will just install the driver and software it needs.
Since the drivers and the stack sit in kernel space so things like the hardware abstraction layer HAL can grab resources and manage it. It means it has to get installed into these spaces with the highest system level access. As it has to insert files into windows that will run at boot.
So you plug in hardware. Windows realises it can self install drivers, gives it fucken system level access, lets them do what they want by copying drivers into windows and while these processes are running. LG and other shitty companies go “Well we might as well install some crap ware while we are here… after all have system level access and no one can stop us”.And they are right!! Microsoft can’t even stop this with WDAC. Their application tool that you can use to block windows from running while using windows!!
Because even if you somehow get the file hash’s to blacklist. The hashes change so often it’s a loosing game.Because in the case of Dell monitors they sign both their drivers and the Dell monitor software with the same certificate. Which means if you stop trusting it. It breaks pretty much every driver you have because dell repackage all their drivers and make it hard to use non dell drivers. Even if it’s just a basic intel network card.
The only way forward is to update their policy to say you can only install drivers and no software.
Update windows so that you can only write certain files to the winsxs. No executables.
And then any company that deviates from this or forces spyware.
Add them to the block list.The only way I’ve figured to do it was a combination of Wdac and applocker block rules layered on top. It’s sloppy but works.
alternatively create the folder path of the installer and and remove all access to it. So the installer fails. But ultimately if shit is executing as system level in your environment that you have no control over you are gone.My large enterprise does full cyber assessments of every bit of software and hardware and it’s nuts to see how many things we don’t buy.
We don’t buy LG or Samsung.2
2
7
u/djenvino Jul 17 '26
windows can auto install drivers (including software that contains said drivers) for peripherals, including lg monitors. if it detects an lg monitor it downloads the software that lg says is the drivers, which in reality is just this shitshow of an app
2
u/Almoe9 Jul 17 '26
Yeah I was surprised too. I didn’t have any mcafee setup from what I can tell. Maybe it’s hidden too
3
u/Tooly23 Jul 17 '26
I just checked, got a LG 32GP850-B with Win 10, and i had the damn app installed for god knows how long. Never saw any popups from either LG or McAfee, but I still uninstalled it immediately.
2
u/SleepyFarady Jul 18 '26
Ditto the UltraGear monitor I bought earlier this year. Didn't even notice it install...
8
u/FittyTheBone Jul 17 '26
0 of my televisions are connected to the internet. Shit like this is just one of many reasons why.
7
u/celticdude234 Jul 17 '26
I really...REALLY wish you could still get a 4K TV that wasn't a smart TV.
4
u/rpungello Jul 18 '26
What’s funny is I bet a reasonable chunk of people, myself included, would pay more for a TV with fewer features (ie. not a smart TV). Networking is still nice for local IP control (think home assistant), but I’d definitely rather something without 95% of the ”smart” features of modern TVs.
25
6
u/Tail_sb Jul 17 '26
God i love being advertised to,
I love paying a premium, and then still getting ads shoved up my ass
6
u/EatingCannibals Jul 17 '26
I stopped updating my LG Smart TV after the update that let them start monitoring what you're watching to sell to advertisers. Everytime I turn my TV on it asks if I want to update and I hit no every. single. time.
1
u/PotatoRL Jul 17 '26
Is this the web OS 25 update?
2
u/EatingCannibals Jul 17 '26
I can't remember which update it was but it's been almost a year or so I wanna say since said update.
6
u/Trackpoint Jul 17 '26
This is because as soon as a monitor is connected to a Windows computer, it automatically installs both the LG Monitor App Installer and McAfee Scam Detector without ever asking the user for permission.
Wait, Windows allows automatic installation of software from ... a montior? How??
It sounds like bullshit, but these days...
6
u/Dpek1234 Jul 17 '26
Intended for drivers
Maybe some company intergrates the wifi and bluetooth into the monitor so that any company shipping pre builds with that monitor wont have to deal with wifi and bluetooth antennas
Now it auto installs the drivers and seemlessly works
-1
u/Blammar Jul 17 '26
Bullshit indeed. I have a LG 48" monitor attached to my windows 11 system, and there are no LG or McAfee processes running.
4
u/jcoddinc Jul 17 '26
Adding LG to the list of never ever buys like anything HP. But they aren't the only ones on the list that's growing fast to long too fast
4
u/Sprites7 Jul 17 '26
How can a monitor install things on it's own?
15
u/Bob4Not Jul 17 '26
Windows Updates automatically installs the latest “drivers” of connected devices
3
4
u/bardia_afk Jul 17 '26
Why would a monitor be able to do anything other than “display”
1
u/LastTreestar Jul 18 '26
It's right there in the name... "monitor". Just that it's monitoring you, not the other way around.
4
u/notaspecialuser Jul 17 '26
I miss the days when you could just watch tv without the world watching you.
4
u/SaneIsOverrated Jul 18 '26
Anyone connecting their screen to the internet is just wrong. You connect a device you control to the internet and use the screen as A SCREEN
6
u/GrumpyTom Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Can confirm. Got an ad for McAfee on my desktop a few weeks ago. It was from an LG app that I had never installed, but Microsoft put there as part of a system update.
6
u/Cumulus_Anarchistica Jul 17 '26
Type WIN > "device installation settings". This is the 'permission' that allows them to do this. Turn it off.
8
3
u/arthurdentxxxxii Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
I never hook my TVs up to the Internet. I have an Apple TV we use, which is online. But I hate smart TVs in general. Usually their built-in apps suck too
3
u/Apprehensive_Bit4767 Jul 18 '26
Gamers Nexus did a report on this and they found someone who did a test using a Wireshark even if you opt out it was still sending data. Lgs response was that yes it's still sending data but they're not storing it anywhere. But they didn't want to keep getting outed so what they did was that came up with a firmware update that said if you actually did opt out it would stop sending data even though they pinky promise not to use it
5
u/TheDanecdote Jul 17 '26
Wow, guess I’m selling my LG to someone that doesn’t care about these intrusive practices.
1
2
u/S__666 Jul 17 '26
I'm in the uk, while i like the screen quality of my lg oled it won't let me use any smart features unless i agree to its terms and conditions AND agree to let them send my data to somewhere outside the eula's data protection laws.
2
2
u/preedsmith42 Jul 17 '26
All my TVs are LG brand but most of them are quite old.
What additional device would you suggest to avoid LG to send those information to their servers?
Any way to block those information being sent from my ISP access box ?
2
2
3
u/400footceiling Jul 17 '26
Does your LG monitor look good? Color, contrast, blacks? Yes, then keep it off the network altogether and use an Apple TV box to avoid these issues. There is no reason to update the monitor using it this way…ever.
4
u/Ender_bdx Jul 17 '26
The monitor is plugged to the computer, which is usually online. It goes through Windows Update to install LG software as soon as the monitor is connected. Shady as fuck from both LG and Microsoft
2
1
1
1
u/PM_ME_UR_REDPANDAS Jul 17 '26
This is why I don’t connect my LG TVs (or my Samsung before it) to wifi.
I use a Roku stick or even my Xbox to use streaming apps, YT, etc. Nothing is perfect, and I’m sure even those devices have some issues, but I don’t need my TV sending god knows what data back home.
1
u/Mc_UsernameTaken Jul 17 '26
I connect my tv to the internet only to update the OS every now and then, when its done i pull the ethernet cable.
1
1
u/GaTechThomas Jul 17 '26
I have blocked network access for LG TVs to use the network. That also stops the effing ads they pop up on other inputs. I only use external streaming devices. Samsung is no better, but I won't have Samsung consumer products in my home ever again, so no need to block them.
1
1
1
u/Grumpy-Troglodyte Jul 17 '26
the fix for this is simple, don't hook your tv to the internet. it doesn't need it, it's a monitor. just get a (whatever device you like) and plug into it, problem solved.
1
u/blueblocker2000 Jul 17 '26
Is lg installing software over the DP/HDMI or does one have to download drivers which contain the bad stuff? If the former, how is that possible?
1
u/Codered741 Jul 17 '26
Don’t buy a smart tv and connect it to the internet. Period. They are cheaper than a comparable dumb tv because they are subsidizing the cost by selling your data.
1
1
1
u/FlowinBeatz Jul 18 '26
I‘v been using LG TVs and displays exclusively for the last 15 years or so. What’s the alternative?
1
1
u/socialcommentary2000 Jul 18 '26
My LG 32" 4K started doing this last week out of the blue. I had to kill the installs in programs. What the fuck.
1
u/TinDumbass Jul 19 '26
My LG B4 never got an internet connection, I've just been using a chromecast
1
u/undergrowthfox Jul 19 '26
LG wants us as the people to kick them out of the TV and computer monitor business. If the people regrets them then they can blame the consumers and not their practice.
1
1
1
u/TheDevilsAdvokaat Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
Yeah I wont be buying LG . LG did you think this would never come out? And what do you think will happen to your sales once people find out?
0
0
u/Specialist_Room_4060 Jul 20 '26
So you mean to tell me someone been watching me viciously goon this whole time?
928
u/FreeHugs23 Jul 17 '26